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Critics I Admire

I might be a little biased, in that Taylor Swift is one of my personal favorite artists and Jody Rosen is one of my personal favorite music writers, but I can’t think of a better piece of pop-culture journalism/criticism all year than Rosen’s profile of Swift, which is on the cover of New York magazine this week and debuted on the Internet Sunday night. Here are three reasons this lengthy profile is worth your time – even if you’re a T-Swift hater. (Also, shame on you.)

This week on The M&M Report, Devin Mitchell and I talked about a variety of topics, ranging from country music and sketch comedy to pop culture criticism and the concept of “must-reads.” Along the way, we learned that Devin doesn’t much like country music, Mark doesn’t much like Florida Georgia Line, and neither of us much likes how SNL is handling its race problems.

First, Mark monologues about the highs and lows of this week’s CMA Awards, from the feuding factions to the excellent hosts. (Also, check out Mark’s CMA Awards live-blog, featuring grades for every performance.)

After that, Devin and I turn once again to Saturday Night Live, which is handling criticism of its lack of racial diversity with the maturity of a nine year-old.

After that, we dive into one of my favorite segments we’ve done yet, discussing the many purposes that pop culture criticism serves and putting the spotlight on two critics we really enjoy: Wesley Morris of Grantland and Alyssa Rosenberg of ThinkProgress. We mentioned Morris’ review of 12 Years a Slave and Rosenberg’s pieces on House of Cards and Parks and Recreation during the show. Give them a read if you have a chance – we think they’ll be worth your time.

We closed with a popular segment, returning by popular demand: Devin Doesn’t Like Things. This week, Devin takes on the concept of the “must-read.” It’s a very nice rant.

Be sure to watch out for next week’s show – our friend and colleague Rachel Lomot will join us to talk about Parenthood and Gilmore Girls. In the meantime, thanks for listening!

Am I a film critic? A TV critic? A music critic? A pop culture critic? An entertainment critic? A journalist?

I don’t know. I certainly have an appetite for writing in those modes, as evidenced by the content on this blog. And I certainly have an appetite for reading work by people who can use those titles in the professional sense. I don’t really know at what point a person crosses over from “fan” to “critic.” Roger Ebert once said that the best way to become a critic is to call yourself one. I’d like to think that much of my writing is critical, at the very least.

But enough about my existential crisis. The purpose of this blog post, and many more like it, is to provide with you some context about my inspirations and idol in the field I’m currently pursuing as a potential career. Twenty years ago, this list would have been confined to writers who worked in print publications that I had access to or television programs I watched, but the Internet has opened the doors for hundreds of smart, thoughtful writers to contribute to our ever-expanding exploration of pop culture and its impact on our lives.